Willingly and Unwillingly
by Leesy Metallium
Summary: Light meets an unusual stranger who makes an unusual request. Oneshot Crossover with The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Rated K for Kiraness.


It had been a week since L had declared an open personal war on Yagami Light. At least, that was how Light had come to view the situation. With every passing day that he saw that vacant expression analysing his every move, his every utterance, the more passionately he desired to make those eyes never see a thing again. Even if the man didn't turn out to be the real L, which he highly doubted would be the case, his desire to utterly destroy him would not be any less.

Despite this disturbance, he continued to attend University. It was still his first year and he was still the top student in all Japan (well…tied top student now).

With recent events weighing heavily on his mind, Light made his way home on the subway. From the moment he entered, he had noticed that he was being followed. Perhaps he would not have detected the potential stalker if they had not been so conspicuous in appearance and obvious in behaviour.

The man was a foreigner; that much was obvious. From Light's peripheral vision he could see that he had neat blonde hair and wore a clean-cut dark grey dress coat and trousers over a pale blue shirt. Unusual. Elegant, but unusual.

Light's eyes narrowed in annoyance as he exited the train and the man stood up and followed him. He immediately assumed that this was another person L had sent after him. He couldn't come up with another reason for a complete stranger tailing him in such a manner.

"Light…I think you should know that there's someone-" came Ryuk's deep tone, but Light cut him off.

"Yes, I know." he hissed under his voice. Ryuk chuckled and continued to float alongside, grinning disturbingly.

Instead of taking his usual turn off towards his home, Light instead took another path that he knew lead to a small and typically unoccupied park. He strode across the grass calmly and took a seat on the lone bench.

As he expected, the man took a seat beside him.

"Any particular reason you're following me?" Light asked in a light-hearted tone, turning to face him. "Or did you simply wake up this morning with the urge to stalk a student?"

The man fixed Light with a disarming smile. He had brilliant blue eyes, but they failed to twinkle as he gave a low and mellow laugh.

"You're very matter of fact, aren't you?" he said with a ridiculously charming smile. He was the sort that could make anyone trust him effortlessly, and Light was immediately suspicious. He assumed that this was what it would be like to encounter himself. "Though I suppose that's only natural in a situation such as this."

"Well you weren't exactly subtle, were you?"

"I have no need to be. I did not wish to hide from you, simply to meet you." The man gave another of his enchanting smiles and Light almost frowned.

"Why would you want to meet me?" he asked curiously, already suspecting the answer, but preparing to act surprised all the same.

"Who would not want to meet Kira, the great enigma of this age?" the man said simply and amiably. Light stared at him for a moment before responding with a small flippant laugh.

"Kira? Me? For a second there I thought you were serious."

"I knew you'd deny it, Light Yagami, but that doesn't matter. I know enough to believe you are Kira." the man said, his smile not dropping for an instant.

Light raised an eyebrow calmly while his mind ticked over frantically trying to think of a single time he had slipped up. None came to mind. "I do not believe that you have seen anything that would incriminate me as Kira, simply because it is not true."

"Firstly I should inform you that I have no wish to turn you over to that detective, L. That's automatically what you'd think, isn't it? I would not resort to something as crass as blackmail except as a last resort. Secondly, my name is Dorian Gray and, with this meeting, I hope to achieve my death."

Light stared at him for a moment, attempting to assess whether or not the man, Dorian Gray, was joking. While that charming smile remained plastered across his face, Light could not believe that he was speaking in jest.

Ryuk floated beside the pair, chuckling eerily to himself.

"You're probably wondering what kind of a nut-job would approach Kira, asking to be killed like so many unfortunate criminals before. You probably wouldn't believe me even if I told you. But then again, you are Kira, so maybe you would." Dorian tilted his head to the side and seemed to be weighing Light up in his bright blue eyes, before giving a small shrug.

"All you need know is that I've been on this earth far too long and am, figuratively, sick to death of life. I want it to end and you are probably the only person who could give me what I desire."

Light stared, trying to assess the implications of Dorian's words. Even if he hadn't been sent by L, a notion which Light had not totally abandoned, killing him would be out of the question. This man could easily be some kind of bait. It was either that or a madman.

"I'm sorry Mr. Gray, but I am not Kira and cannot kill you more than any other ordinary man on the street can. Though, if suicide is set on your agenda, I would recommend a large cliff overlooking the sea at night. Such a death would certainly match your attire." Light said with a small smirk.

Dorian Gray stared at him for a moment, before closing his eyes and chuckling in his rich melodious style. "Thankyou for the advice, but I'm afraid that that would do nothing aside from ruining a perfectly good smart-casual ensemble. No, I very much need you to do the deed."

"I've told you already-"

"Write me in your book of death, Light Yagami. You kill so many, what is one more to add to the list?"

Light froze, his eyes locking impassively with Dorian's.

"I've already said that I know you are Kira." Dorian continued, blue eyes narrowing. "I know how you kill. But once again, I'm not going to tell anyone. That is, if you at least attempt to kill me."

Light's resolve returned in full force. "You are trying to trap me, but it will not work because I am not Kira." he snapped. What was with this 'attempt to kill' rubbish? If Kira wanted someone dead, they died. End of story!

"Would it make you feel better to know that you would be killing a criminal? I have done terrible things in my life and probably deserved to die a long time ago. Though, admittedly, my reasons for wanting to die are far more selfish than a sudden affliction of guilt." Dorian said, and Light recognised a quality of desperation in his expression.

This Dorian Gray had to be a madman; a suicidal, criminal madman in the guise of a young dandy. Yet knew about the Death Note and that couldn't just be a lucky guess.

There was a long silence before Dorian spoke again.

"If you refuse my request, I'm afraid I will be forced to go to L with what I know. I'm sorry, but I really must insist."

Light's eye twitched slightly.

This well-dressed lunatic was threatening to bring his carefully constructed world crashing down. He could not refuse the request due to the chance that Dorian's knowledge was enough to incriminate him. He could not accept the request as it was possible that this was all an elaborate hoax to make him confess.

"Even if I was Kira, which I'm not," Light spoke soft and low, "I would not be able to kill you as there would be a high chance that this is a trick to trap me. As it is, it could all be a ploy by L to make me appear guilty when I am innocent."

"I'm disappointed in you, Light Yagami." Dorian sighed and stood, straightening his coat. "I understand your caution but…I suppose it can't be helped. If you're so certainly not Kira, then it won't matter to you if I contact L. Good day."

He turned and began to walk away, his hands thrust deep into his coat pockets and golden hair waving gently in the breeze.

Light hissed in anger. This was unacceptable. It was not possible for the park to be bugged; no one had known they would be coming here, not even himself.

He glanced around, scanning for any place where someone could be watching the scene from. There weren't any. It was a fairly barren corner of his town and even the few trees scattered around the vicinity were not enough for a person to hide behind.

"Fine. Have it your way, Mr. Gray." He sneered and extracted a small piece of paper from his wallet, along with the stub of a pencil. "I'll deal with you the same way I dealt with the last person who came too close."

_Dorian Gray  
Go to a place only you know. Suicide._

He knew that he was acting recklessly, but he had decided that it would be more reckless to allow the man to go to L when he had admitted to knowledge of the Death Note. Light was trapped and this was the only option that he saw as having a chance to escape through. He began the countdown.

He had reached twenty seconds by the time Dorian arrived at the end of the path which led back to the roadside. His eyes were fixed on the man as he stopped and turned, watching as Kira's lips silently counted down.

Dorian smiled faintly and closed his eyes, directing his face towards the bright afternoon sunlight and standing motionless.

Thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty. "Go do what you so desire."

Dorian continued to stand there, eyes closed, hands in pockets, face towards the sun. Another minute passed before he finally cracked an eye open, turning to glance at Light, who could do nothing but stare in horror.

Was it the wrong name? Had it been a trap all along? It had to be. This was the end. This was impossible.

His hands flexed frantically against paper and pencil as Dorian made the slow walk back towards where Kira sat.

Finally standing before Light, the blonde man sighed.

"I thought that it might not work. I'm disappointed but…at least…I thank you for trying. Even though it was under duress, thank you." Dorian attempted his smile, but seemed to find himself incapable. Light couldn't bring himself to do or say anything.

"Don't worry, I won't go to L. Your actions as Kira are certainly shaking up this stagnant world and I wouldn't wish to interfere." Dorian continued, seeing that Light was not going to contribute to the exchange. "If anything, I'd wish for you to continue for as long as possible. Life has been so dull for so long…any interest is better than no interest."

"The world is rotten." Light spoke suddenly and harshly. "I'm not doing this for amusement or entertainment; I'm doing it for the good of all."

Dorian tilted his head inquisitively.

"Is that so? Maybe I've misjudged you." He said with a curious look. "We're quite similar, you and I. I don't pretend to be your intellectual equal, but I have the experience to make up for it. I doubt that I'm wrong."

"How can this happen?" Light asked in a hard tone, his curiosity and bewilderment getting the better of him. "How is it that you cannot be killed?"

Dorian set the boy with a heavy look and all at once, Light could feel the weight of many years behind the gaze. "Immortality is a ghastly thing. Never even dare to wish for it."

"Immortality…" Light eyed the man dubiously. "Is such a thing possible?"

"Yes, but heed my words and never seek it." Dorian said with a severe look in what now seemed to be falsely brilliant eyes.

"I wouldn't even know where to start looking." Light frowned, looking slightly puzzled. Dorian shrugged and let the matter drop.

"Well, goodbye Light Yagami. Kira. I hope that you don't get caught for a long time." Without another word, Dorian Gray turned on his heel and left.

Light continued to sit upon the bench long after the blonde man had disappeared from view. His head was swirling; if that had been a trap than he would not have been able to escape it.

"You knew, didn't you?" he finally asked out loud, directing the question at the silent grinning spectre. "That I couldn't kill him."

"He didn't have a lifespan." Ryuk said simply. "He'll never die."

Light nodded and finally rose to his feet, closing his eyes and stretching his arms above his head.

"I'd better get home and study. Half the afternoon feels like it's already gone."

And so life continued for both Kira and Dorian Gray, one willingly and one unwillingly.


End file.
